Edward l



@man gran-r item1 @frita EDIVARD L. WALKER, OF JENNERS X-liOADS,PENNSYLVANIA. Lett/frs Patent No. 64,386, dated April 30,1867.

IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE.

digi dgrtnlr rentra in in this ntns shtnu :mt milking gaat nf it smut TOALL WI-IOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. WALKER, of Jenners X-Roads, Somersetcounty, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement inWashing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a washingmachine embracing my improvements; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view, u ith one side and the removable coverbroken away, in part, to show the arrangement of the lifting compressor,cbc. v

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in both figures.

My invention consists in the employment of a removable top or coveragainst which the compression of the articles of clothing to be washedis effected by means of a lifting compressor, upon which the clothes areplaced, whereby a thorough shaking up and consequently a rapid cleansingis effected, as hereinafter explained. It further consists in thearrangement of means for operating the lifting compressor, consisting ofuprights secured thereto and working in grooves in the sides of the tubor through perforations in the removable cover, and a'lever-frame or itsequivalent secured to said uprights and having its fulcrum in pivotedstandards, as hereinafter explained; andit further consists in providingthe removable cover, against which the compression of the clothes iseffected, and which is arranged to turn over against the side ofthe tub,as hereinafter explained, with a corrugated rubbing or wash-boardsurface, upon which the clothes may be rubbed out by hand after thenecessary pounding action hasy been effected.

To enable others to understand and use my invention, I will describe thesame with reference to the drawings, in which- A. A represent the sidesof the tub; B, the standard or frame in which said tub is mounted togive it any desired or convenient elevation from the ground; C, thebottom of the tub resting on cross-pieces of the frame; D, the liftingcompressor upon which'the clothing is placed, which may be made ofslats, as shown, or in any desired manner, and to which are connecteduprights, E, arranged to work in grooves in the end of the tub, or, ifpreferred, through slots or perforations rin the removable cover Hhereinafter referred to. F is a leverframe pivoted at the ends of itsshorter arms to uprights E, and having its fulcrum in standards Gr,which are pivoted at their lower ends in cross-pieces B' of the stand orframe B in such manner as to permit the upper ends thereof to vibrate toand from the uprights E, thereby securing a vertical movement of theuprights, the

vibration of the standards serving to compensate for the vibration ofthe lever-frame and consequent varying distance between the uprights Eand standards G. H is a removable cover made adjustable in height, or inits distance from the lift-ing compressor, in such manner as to adaptthe machine to the quantity of clothing to be operated upon. It isfastened in the desired position by means of spring-bolts or pins, a,enteringl sockets Z1 formed in the sides or ends of the tub to receivethem. These pins or bolts are operated by means of bars or levers, c,arranged in such manner as that any one or all of the pins erholts maybe withdrawn at pleasure. A series of holes or sockets, b,.arranged asshown in iig. 2, provides for the necessary adjustment of the height ofthe cover. The cover is provided on its under surface with a corrugatedrubbing board in the manner shown in red lines, fig. 1, for thc purposeof affording a. convenient means for the usual rubbing out by hand afterthe necessary pounding of the clothes has been effected, as hereinafterexplained.

The operation is as follows: The cover being removed or turned up on oneside in the manner shown in red lines, tig. 1, the clothing,`or articlesto be Washed, is spread' evenly upon the compressor D; the cover is thenadjusted over it at the desired height, according to the amount ofclothing in the tub, and in such manner as that the surface of the covershall be beneath the water contained in the tub to prevent splashingwhen the llong arm of the lever-frame is operated or thrown down in suchmanner as to thronT or compress the clothing lwith any desired forceagainstthe cover H, thereby bringing the said compressor, and the leversoperating it, into the position shown in red lines, fig. 2, when themotion of the lever is reversed, and the compressor, with the clothingupon it, is forced downward again into the position shown in blacklines, lig. 2, the clothing dropping down by its own gravity through thewater, and being loosened up and separated bythe action of the Waterthereon. This operation is repeated as long as is necessary to effect athorough cleansing of the articles being washed. change of the. Water inthe tub may be effected, if desired, without removing the clothes or thecover, by drawing off the Water by means of a spigot or Cock at or nearthe bottom of the tub, and pouring; clean Water upon the cover. Afterthe clothing has been sufficiently operated upon as above described, thepins or bolts upon one side being withdrawn, the cover may be turnedover upon the. side opposite the lever-frame, as shown in red lines, i,and 'the clothes may be rubbed out by hand upon the rubbing surfaceformed thereon in the usual manner.

By the construction herein described, it will. be seen that while thenecessary pounding of the clothes is thoroughly effected by the liftingcompressor, by the withdrawal of the compressor which forms theirsupport they are allowed to drop by their own gravity through the Waterin the tub, which serves efteetuztlly to loosen and separate them beforethe compressing .fiction is repeated, whereas in the usual method theyare compacted into anlass in the bottom of the tub, and consequently thewater fails to act, except upon the surface, and the cleansing isimperfectly effected.

'I have shown one goed Way in which my improvement may be carried out iupractice; but it will be obvious that changes may be made in the formandv construction of some of the parts, suoli as the tub and liftingcompressor, Without departing from my invention. l

'What l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. The removable cover or its equivalent, against which the compressionofthe clothes is e`ected, substantially as described. I

The compressor operated from beneath against the stationary oradjustable cover or its equivalent, .substantially as described.

3. The boi: or tub provided with a series of sockets, or theirequivalents, for graduating or adjusting the height of the removable topor cover, substantially as described.

4. The arrangement or" means for operating the lifting compressor,consisting of uprights .attached to said compressor, pivoted fulcruinstandards, and the lever-frame, or their equivalents, substantially asdescribed.

5. A compressing cover provided with a rubber-board on its undersurface, and arranged to turn on pivots over against the side of theframe, in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day ofMarch, 1867.

EDWARD L. WALKER.

Witnesses:

N. B. SMITH, EDM. F. BROWN.

